The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Internal combustion engines have been around since the early nineteenth century. Even with the increasing popularity of hybrid and electric cars, internal combustion engines are still the main driving force of a majority of today's motor vehicles.
In an internal combustion engine (ICE) system, a mixture of fuel (e.g., gasoline or diesel) and an oxygen-containing gas (e.g., air) are injected into a combustion chamber. Upon ignition, the mixture combusts to produce gases (usually contains steam, carbon dioxide, and other chemicals) in very high temperature. As the gases expand due to high temperature, they generate a force that drives the moving parts (e.g., pistons) of the engine. In short, the ICE system produces power by transferring chemical energy that is stored in the fuel-air mixture to thermal and then mechanical energy.
However, even though ICEs have been in existence for a long period of time, they have never attained high efficiency levels. In fact, most ICEs in cars being produced today are only about 25% to 30% efficient (total thermal efficiency). Inefficiency of an ICE is usually caused by incomplete combustion of fuel, which also results in emission of harmful gases such as carbon dioxide and soot. As such, improvements to the ICE's efficiency would reduce both fuel consumption and air pollution.
Efforts have been made in the past to improve the efficiency of ICE systems. For example, International Patent Publication WO2011/028223 to McAlister entitled “Integrated Fuel Injectors and Igniters and Associated Methods of Use and Manufacture”, filed Jul. 21, 2010, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,788 to Tarr et al. entitled “Integrated Fuel Injector and Ignitor Assembly”, filed Jul. 29, 1996 disclose integrated injector/ignitors that provides efficient injection, ignition, and complete combustion of various types of fuels (e.g., natural gas fuel, etc.).
Other examples of fuel injectors or ignitors that aim at making more efficient fuel consumption in a combustion engine include:                U.S. Patent Publication 2003/0121998 to Maier et al. entitled “Fuel Injection Valve”, filed Nov. 12, 2001 discloses a fuel injector with a swirl disk located downstream from the valve seat, which imparts at least a portion of the fuel to flow in a swirl and        U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,015 to Benedikt et al. entitled “Fuel Injection Valve with Integrated Spark Plug”, filed Mar. 24, 1999 discloses a fuel injection value having ignition electrodes.        
However, even with the techniques that are taught in the above-referenced literature, the efficiency of ICE has still yet to reach anything close to an optimal level. Thus, there is still a need to improve on existing ICE systems to further improve efficiency and reduce emission of harmful by-products.
All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties such as concentration, reaction conditions, and so forth, used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of the invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.
As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g. “such as”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention.
Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all Markush groups used in the appended claims.